Temperature indicator for internal-combustion engines



. S. RUBEN TEMPERATURE INDICATOR FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Original Filed July 11. 1921 7- uji {Z021 I E O VZZwZZ. l g i Z- 7 c 3 ,6 a"

. terior of the radiator throughtheopeningline the cap. This body has a coatingI of mate rial which undergoes; a marked change-Tina Patented Nov. 1 1, 1924 Miran men Tr mgonaca;

SAMUEL RUBEN, on NEW YORK,- N. 'Y.

TEMPERATURE INDICATOR=FOR -INTERN'AL.-COM IIB'US'ILIO'N' Application and July 1i, i92i, Serial No: 433,805.,Rei1eweiihbx1i 25, 1954.

To all ioho m may cohbern:

,Be itknown that -I, SAMUEL Rania, a

gines, of which tron.

I the indicator .shown I the change- I able coating on the metal tube. being lined citizenof the United States, residing at, New

vYork, in the county ofNew. York andState' toindicate red, which may be the color of the coating -at normal radiator temperaand u seful Improvements in TemperatureI Indicators. for InternaL-Combustion En- Fig. tisaisimilar, view, showing t the coating lined to indicate a contrasting color,

the following is. a specifica- .This invention relatesto temperature'indicators, for indicating; the temperatures in'the radiators of internalcombustion em' .gines having water cooling-,asysterns In. carryin out the invention,- 1 provide a cap s ulated from the metal parts of the radiator is arrangeda hollow metal body, preferably which .is,.:in communicatlomwith theQin-g tor the radiator, having: a central.,. p and upo the pla ther a y changeable .coatingwith bars black, whichmay :be the color of the coating at excessive radiator temperature;

show-ing the ofred. separated by permanent bars ofwhite, thered bars being changeable toblack upon ab- .;normal rise in temperature in the radiator; :and, 7

, Fig.

, armodifiedform f of indicator, {attachable:to

many... radiator ca'pr in the formof a relatively,thin metal-,,tube,i

, the drawing, ,a. indicates, ,a .radiatortcap of v Referring to rigsli inclusive, of

, any suitable; design, adaptedv to fit the'filling .;color with a change in .temperature, and the body; withgits. coating. is ,ylsible fromthe drivers seat, so t-hat-thedrivermay be-advised by observing thecolor .of the'coating.

on the body of any-undue heatingzofthe in a transparent casing, to prevent the coattube b of, ,an automobileradiator. In the body 5 portion has ,a vcentral opening- 3, into which=is threaded or. otherwise suitably secured a,relatively thin metal .tube at, which engine. Preferably, this tube is enclosed ing on its surface from 1becoming soiled,

and this casing, in turn, is protected from mechanical injury-by an outer casing which,

may be of molded heat insulating material,

formed with a' suitable-sight opening, and ifdesired, an opening to permit the-circulation of air around the transparent casing.

extends vertically above the cap and has its lower end-open so that the interiorofthe tube will be in communication with the interior of the radiator when the cap'is on aradiator. Upon the outer surface of this ,tube andcovering its central portion is a coating 15 of material which undergoes I-also provide, especially for motors having the thermo-siphon system of water circulation, a metal cap for the coated tube, which cap is exposed to the atmosphere at all.

marked change in color with .change in temperature of the tube, the thickness of the coating being exaggerated in Fig... 2.

.Thus, according to the composition of times and radiates heat from thetube. This cap equalizes the temperature of the coated tube, preventing sudden changes but allowing the temperature of the tube to rise. with prolonged overheating of the water in the. radiator. i

In the accompanying drawing,

lhglisarearee cap equipped with my temperature indicator; Y

Fig. 1, the filling tube of an automobile radiator also being shown in central section' Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the part of the .coating material, the change may be from yellow to red or from red to .black, with rise in temperature,the reverse changes in color taking place when the temperature ofthe tube falls. The remainden of the tube is coated with material which does not undergo change in color with vchange in temperature, such: as ordinarfi white paint, and which contrasts with vation of the radiator b0 of, the colors of the changeable color-coating. Thus, in Figs. 3 and 4, the parts 4 of j the tube above and below the coating 5 are Fig. 2 is a section-on the line 2-2 of the :coating. In Fig. 5, the changeable material coating is represented as bars or rings otred extending around the tube and separated' 'bybars afi of material of a -.-oontrastingand unchangeable color, such as'--ordina-ry white paint. For clearer --visibilityfrom the drivers seat, the barred arrange-. ment shown in Fig. 5 is preferred. These bars alSOISBI'VB ILS-T aduation marks-which show rising and fa ling temperature in the tube, sincethe ohang'esin temperature take place more or less graduall from end to end 'of ;the tube. a co'lor -c'anging material Q; for coating the tube, I prefer to use a compound of mercuric and copper iodides,which changes from red to a decided black when heated, but other compounds may be'lused,

such for instance as a compound silver "and 'merc'urlc' od1des', WhICh changes from a'yellow to "upon rise an temperature.

a The metal tu'bel is e'nc'losed in "a transparent tube 6, preferabl of glass, to keep the coating on 'the 'metal cap clea'n,"and the glass tube is protected against mechanical "injuryby stubs 7,' of molded composition of' the glasstube. A metal cap is? threaded on to '"the'upper end of the metal the casing-Tend thus holds the casing and L- tubefi-fTh composition casin has asight opening "7,-"'ofsuitable size, t rough which the coating-4on themetal tube may be seen,

-' andit -is alsopreferably provided-with a.

-"smaller opening -7,'*at the opposite side of 'jthecasing to permit air to flow'through the- "casing from theopening 7 to the opening 7 The glass tube and the enclosing casing rest upon-suitable surfaces on the cap and the casing can'be adjusted about its axis to change the'position' of the sight opening with respect to the location of the drivers seat,-'as'desired. a

In-operation of the device thus far described, when' the'temperature in the top of the radiator rises to such a point as'to indicate "over-heating of some of the engine parts. the-metal tube will be heated by the steam or' vapor which passes from the upper part'of the radiator into the tube, and this will cause a readily visible change inthe color of the coating on the metal tube. If,

" nowothe engine is stopped and the water in *"theradiator-cools down, the metal tube will lose its heat and the color of the coating on the tube-will change back to normal;

The metal cap 8. whieh is exposed to the atmosphere at all times and is connected to the metal tube, conducts heat from said tube and this heat'is radiated from the cap. A sudden rise in temperature in the radiator,

which might be caused by some tempQrary but not abnormal working condition of the engine, ,might' causeq'the'tubejto heat and --show adecided change'in color if it were not "for the exposed metal cap, which serves as a temperature equalizer and prevents sudden changes in temperature of the tube.

However, prolonged overheating, due to some abnormal working of the engine, would gradually cause thetube as well as the cap to become hot color.

In Fig. 6, I have shown an ordinary metal capo, through which is bored a central and the coating would change operiing 3, .and the temperature indicating device is in the form of an attachment which can be readily applied to or removed -'from the cap. As shown, the indicating tube 4 is mounted upona base of heat insulating material 9, and this base has a central opencap by a nut 11', which is threaded on 'to the nipple 10 'and--bears {against a washer 12,

of-insulating material, which is interposed between the nut andthe underside of the body of the-cap. The lower end "of the tube 'is imbedded' in the insulating mate- "rial 9 and is-con'c'e'ntric 'with the-nipple 10' so that'the interior offthe'tube' will be "in communication with the -in'terior of the the glas's tube iii position about themetalradiator through thenipple- 10, when the cap isapplied? to the'radiator.- As in the I previously described figures; this indicating tube has the coating 5 of changeable color material and the tube is enclosed in a glass tube 6,-which, in -turn,-is enclosed in a casing 7 of heat insulating material, and the parts are held in position by-a metal cap 8, threaded on to the metal tube.

It will be evident that by removing the nut 11, the base 9 and the entire indicating device may be removed from the cap." It will also be evident that the device may be applied to any ordinary cap by boring a hole in the cap to receive the-nipple 10. The tube in Fig. 6, as in Figs. 1 and 2, is insulated from the metal parts of the cap, so

'ing with the opening-in the cap, sai body having an exterior coating "of material which changes color with changes in temperature.

2. In a temperature indicator for internal combustion engines, the combination with a radiator cap having an opening therethrough, of a hollow metal body mounted on the cap and having an opening register ing with the opening in the cap, said body having an exterior coating of material which changes color with changes in temperature, a casing enclosing said body but leaving said coating exposed to view, and

'a heat radiating body attached to said holradiating cap on said tube.

4. In a temperature indicator for internal combustion engines, the combination with a radiator cap having an opening therethrough, of a metal tube mounted on heat insulating material on said cap and having an opening registerin' with the opening in the cap, said tube iaving a coating of material which changes color with changes in temperature;

5. In a temperature indicator for internal combustion engines, the'-'. -cohabination with a radiator cap having an opening therethrough, of a metal tube mounted on heat insulating mater-iii on' said ca and hav ing an opening registering-wit the opening in the cap, said tube having a coating of material which changes color with changes in temperature, a casing enclos ing said tube but leaving said coating exposed to view, and a heat radiating cap on said tube outside the casing.

6. In a temperature indicator for internal combustion engines, the combination with a radiator cap having an opening therel-hrough, of a metal tube having an opening registering with the opening in the cap,

and having a coating of material which changes color with change in temperature, a transparent tube surrounding the metal tube, a housing surrounding both of said tubes and having a sight-opening and a heat radiating cap on the metal tube outside the housing.

7. In a temperature indicator for internal combustion engines, the combination with a radiator cap having an opening therethrough, of a metal tube having an opening registering with the opening in the cap and having a part of its surface coated with material which changes color with change in temperature and an adjacent part coated with material which remains constant in color with changes in temperature.

8. In a temperature indicator for internal combustion engines, the combination with a radiator cap having an opening therethrough, of a metal tube having an opening registering with the opening in the cap, and having a part of its surface coated with material which changes color with change in temperature and an adjacent part coated with material which. remains constant in color with changes in temperature, the color of'said latter material contrasting with the several colors of the first mentioned material. j

9. In a temperature indicator for internal combustion, engines, the combination with a radiator c'a having an opening, of a body of heat insu ating material having a hip pie secured thereto, said nipple extending through said opening and securing the insulating material to the cap, a metal tube mounted on said material and having an opening register-in with the nipple and having a coating 0 material which changes color with change in temperature, an enclosure for said tube having a sight-opening, and a radiator cap mounted on the upper end of the tube outside the closure.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signa ture.

SAMUEL RUBEN. 

